


Negotiable

by Scriptor_Bellum



Category: Alien Series, Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Predator Original Series (1987-1990)
Genre: Awkward Tension, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Political Drama, a little bit mostly!, and uhhhh more tags added as I think of more stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2020-05-13 17:32:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19255894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scriptor_Bellum/pseuds/Scriptor_Bellum
Summary: For all the times people have asked Elaine Andrews where she would be in life by the time she was fifty, her answer was neverentering diplomacy negotiations with a semi-hostile alien race.And yet, here she is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this concept is self-explanatory! It's cross-posted to my Tumblr blog, monstrousboyfriends.
> 
> Also, I've only started getting into both Predator and Alien in the last year, so fingers crossed that I haven't totally messed anything up! XD
> 
> Nau'tui and Elaine are both my OCs, and more of them will show up! Enjoy and leave a comment if you enjoyed it so far! <3

For all the times people have asked Elaine Andrews where she would be in life by the time she was fifty, her answer was never _entering diplomacy negotiations with a semi-hostile alien race._

And yet, here she is.

This is crazy. She feels crazy. Everyone else would say she was crazy. Maybe she’s crazy.

Oh, well. Most of the best ideas are crazy.

For obvious reasons, she and this creature – a Yautja, not that she’s ever successfully pronounced that name so far – are meeting in a private but neutral place. The conversation will be held in English for the benefit of Earth’s population, because apparently this Yautja understands and speaks fairly fluent English, and the race itself has tremendous translation technology so that the Yautja won’t miss out on it.

Every word is going to be recorded, which only serves to make Elaine more nervous. What if she says something stupid or accidentally offensive or trips over her words? Her superiors would can her in a second for fucking this up. It’s _important._ She needs to be at the top of her game.

The door closes behind her as soon as she steps inside, and there’s no going back now.

There are no windows in the room, but it’s not exactly dark. It’s spacious. There’s a table and some chairs… and an extraterrestrial sitting in one of them, looking for all the world very casual.

Elaine balks immediately and almost wants to run right out that door. This thing must be about eight feet tall! Even in the heels she’s wearing, she’s dwarfed by over two feet. One of her icebreakers has suddenly become, _“How’s the weather up there?”_ and there is no way in HELL she’s saying that. The only way she’s saying that is if she wanted to start a Goddamn intergalactic war. For a second she even considers that it might be better for her not to say anything at all.

“Uh, he – hello,” she greets as she slowly walks over toward the table. So much for taking a vow of silence. “Good… afternoon, I think it is. It’s, uh, it’s very nice to meet you. My name is Elaine Andrews. Uh – of, of Earth – the, uh, United States of America. The people of Earth are honored to… to be talking with you. And – and, of course, I’m honored personally!” God, she’s flailing already. What is _wrong_ with her? She’s gonna blow this.

The creature looks at her, and the mandibles on their face click together several times. Even though she’s not quite sure what that means, it reminds her of someone chuckling. “Thank you… Elaine.” Her name is said haltingly, as if it’s some kind of exotic abomination. “The people of Yautja Prime are honored to be talking with you, as well, as am I personally.” The voice is surprisingly deep, which leads Elaine to suspect that this is a male Yautja. Unless she’s corrected, that’s what she’s going with. “I am Nau’tui, Leader of the Uata Clan and one of Yautja Prime’s Elders. Please sit.”

She nods, feeling like she’s in a dream as she lowers herself into the seat across from him. He commands so much authority, it’s like following orders from one of her bosses. When she sits, she realizes that the table isn’t very big, so there’s only a few feet of distance between them.

This guy is _massive._ He has tight muscles with muted chartreuse skin stretched over them, and what she can only describe as dreadlocks sprouting from the top of his head. They’re black and abundant and hanging halfway down his back, decorated with silvery rings that have various designs carved into them. He’s wearing some kind of mesh outfit that exposes his broad chest, though thankfully his lower half is… suitably covered. Elaine isn’t sure how she would handle staying composed while talking to a naked alien.

Poorly, probably, based on how she’s handling talking to a _mostly clothed_ alien.

She clears her throat and folds her hands on the table in front of her. “So, mmh… how’s your day going so far? Well, I hope?”

“Well, yes. Thank you.” Her coworkers seemed to not think much of the Yautja’s English skills, but clearly Nau’tui is fluent. She doesn’t hear any difference between his speech and someone who’s been speaking English all of their life. “And yours?”

“Not bad, uh, I’m… I’m sorry if I seem – I’m a little nervous.” She might as well put it out in the open, after all. “It’s, uh… not every day that I meet an alien. Whereas, uh, I understand that, well… the Yautja have a lot of experience with races other than your own. So, uh, yeah. My apologies.”

The same sound, that clicking, meets her ears again. He seems _amused_ by her. “Please relax. Apologies are fine, and accepted, and to tell you the truth, I myself am not immune to nerves. But you are _too_ anxious. You act like prey. If I may offer a piece of advice; you never want to act like prey around Yautja.”

She can feel the blood rush to her cheeks, and she gives him what she hopes is a placating smile. “Of course. Thank you for the advice. Like I said, this is all… really new to me. I’ll try to relax, though. You seem nice.”

That’s the truth. When her bosses were talking to her about this, they told her to be on alert and even gave her a week-long course on self-defense just in case things turned bad. She’s been sent in with a concealed can of pepper spray. They all have said that the Yautja are terrible, violent creatures. The humans have nicknamed these aliens _Predators._

Nau’tui does not seem like a terrible, violent being. He’s quite calm and pleasant, as far as Elaine is concerned. As huge and obviously dangerous as he might be, she doesn’t think she runs the risk of being hurt here. He even gave her advice about interacting with his people.

Every muscle in her body uncoils in gradual sync. It’s okay. Everything is fine. She doesn’t need to be ready to run away or defend herself because he’s not going to hurt her. “Sorry,” she finally breathes. “I think I’m okay. I’ll try not to, uh… act like prey again.”

“My apologies if I sounded harsh. This is not an arena where you need fear for your safety, nor I for mine. Now, I believe this will be a productive meeting.” His claws gesture toward her, which makes her near-panic for half a second. They’re so _sharp!_ “Out of respect and gratitude for the humans accepting our offer for negotiations, I would like you to begin the official talks if you have topics prepared.”

Alright, no big deal. Of course she has things prepared. There’s an entire sheaf of paper she brought in with notes, questions, and discussion topics. Her hands shake slightly as she thumbs through them, though after a second she manages to get that under control. “Right, right, of course. I, uh – thank you for that, uh… Mr. Uata…?”

She’s cringing at herself. He’s addressing her by first name; maybe she should have done the same thing. “Sorry again, um… would you prefer that or… just your, uh… first name?”

That clicking sound is starting to become familiar to her. Is that the equivalent of a laugh, then? “Simply Nau’tui.”

“Of course! Nau’tui, then. So, ah, thank you, Nau’tui.” His name sounds so foreign inside her mouth, and she can only hope she isn’t completely butchering the pronunciation. “I’m honored to speak first, and there are a few topics I have ready.” Looking through her notes, she can see that some of her bosses have given her good topics and bad ones. A question of what the Yautja’s weaknesses are must have come from her cutthroat superior, and it makes her roll her eyes. Instead, she settles on a tactful way to approach the question that’s very likely on the minds of everyone listening.

She clears her throat again. “Okay, well, there’s an elephant in the room here, I guess.”

The ridge above Nau’tui’s eye arches as if in curiosity, and the clicks he offers this time sound different. “Oh, is there?”

“Yes, uh, well… I’ve reviewed reports in the past of – of all the contact between humans and Yautja.” Which isn’t a lie, because to take on this assignment, she had to be educated. There aren’t an obscene amount of reports. However… “In the past, some Yautja have come to our planet and, for lack of a better word, hunted down humans. I understand that, statistically, you probably had nothing to do with these incidents, and it’s, uh… it’s very likely that the majority of Yautja had nothing to do with them either.”

The room suddenly feels uncomfortably warm, and Elaine shifts in her seat. The last thing she wants to do is offend this man. “But, unfortunately, I do have to bring it up. If humans and Yautja are going to be able to get along, then we humans need to know why some Yautja have killed some humans, and we need to be assured that we’re safe. Were these Yautja rogues who you don’t approve of, or is this kind of hunting behavior typical among Yautja?”

Hopefully that was a gentle way to broach this particular subject. After all, she can’t truly imagine that he would take it well if she called him and his entire race a bunch of murdering psychopaths. It’s just hard to find a way to ask about this without doing that.

Things are quiet for a moment, though Nau’tui doesn’t seem upset – and with what her superiors have told her, she’s fairly certain she would know if he was pissed. Initially, he gives her a slow nod as he steeples his hands on the table. As far as she can tell, it looks like he’s thinking just as hard about how to answer her question as she thought to ask it.

“Mostly, this is typical Yautja behavior. However, the Hunt as we call it is a ritual that is integral to our culture.” He leans forward, arms resting lightly on the table, the weight tilting it at a slight angle toward him. “It is how we define our warriors, our soldiers, our personal value. Please know that it is complicated, but I can tell you that we do not specifically Hunt humans. If a Yautja has decided to Hunt a human, it is because they have decided the human is a worthy kill… and therefore trophy. The Hunt itself is central to a Yautja, but the Hunting of humans is not.”

His mandibles click again, in that same curious way they did before. Like he’s considering his words very carefully. “Because we are seeking an alliance with you, certainly I will bring up with the other Elders and the Ancients the importance of changing our laws to forbid Hunting humans entirely. I cannot promise that the law will change, and it may be met with resistance. But I do understand that an alliance where your people fear for their lives will be tenuous and short-lived at best. So after this meeting, I will talk to the others about the possibility of changing the law.”

Huh, he understands exactly how to navigate a political setting… and he knows the points she was going to cover before she even plainly brought them up. It strikes Elaine that perhaps he’s had to have discussions like this with other races, or even spearhead mediation between members of his own family.

As for her, this isn’t her _first_ political discussion, but it’s her first one with an alien. It’s impressive to her how he seems to be totally confident and know exactly what she’s going to bring up. Even though she’s good at reading ahead as well, he seems to think on his feet. He doesn’t waste any time.

“A… ah, I see,” is what she comes up with as an answer. She swallows and gives him a nod along with a smile. “This is fascinating and – and definitely a welcome insight to your race. I can’t imagine I don’t speak for a lot of humans when I say we’re curious about your culture. Plus, it’s a great comfort to us that you’ll discuss this with them. I’m sure this is something my own superiors will want to discuss as well.”

She supposes it’s a compliment that any of them would consider a human a worthy kill. It’s still unsettling, though. Thinking about a Yautja tracking down a human puts Elaine in the shoes of the prey, and she can’t imagine anything but pure terror.

Remembering Nau’tui’s words, she reminds herself that she can’t act like prey around him. She takes a deep breath before continuing. “So, you don’t hunt humans in particular. Can I take that to mean that you hunt other kinds of creatures? Would you mind listing some examples? Do you hunt sentient life, non-sentient life, or a mix? Do you prefer hunting certain kinds of creatures?” Her face flushes slightly. “Well, I mean, I assume all of this may vary, but, you know… in general terms.”

His mandibles click together, and he offers a thoughtful nod. “In general terms… the Yautja hunt any who we think of as worthy prey. That can mean sentient or non-sentient beings. Clans and individuals may have a favorite prey. If we do not feel inclined to any other prey, we go on a Hunt for _Kainde Amedha,_ which we breed specifically for Hunting.”

“ _Kainde Amedha…_ ” Elaine’s pen is out of her pocket by now, jotting notes on some of the blank paper. Even though the conversation is recorded and it means her bosses can take their own notes, she’s truly interested in the Yautja culture. She’s sure some Earth cultures place emphasis on hunting for sport, but… not to the degree where it’s one of the cornerstones of their way of life. As terrifying as the Yautja seem, she can’t deny that she wants to learn more about them. “So, what exactly are _Kainde Amedha?_ Is that a creature that only exists on Yautja Prime, or is that a Yautja word for some kind of other alien, or…?”

“The latter.” Nau’tui tilts his head at her, his claws tapping lightly against the table. “ _Kainde Amedha_ is our word for… ah… I believe humans know them as – Xenomorphs, is your word for them?”

Immediately, her eyes get wide. “Xenomorphs?” Now, those she actually has some knowledge of. Among the files of Yautja incidents, her bosses also gave her reports that covered every other major incident of humans’ encounters with aliens. Those included Xenomorphs; a violent hive mind of extraterrestrials who seemed to have no goal besides using other species to birth their horrifying young. What little she knows of humans’ relationship with them boils down to a simple fact. That fact being, even the division of a gigantic corporation called Weyland-Yutani that’s devoted to reverse-engineering weapons and products from the Xenomorphs couldn’t fully control them.

Is Nau’tui telling her that the Yautja _breed those things?_ That the Yautja _hunt and kill them on a regular basis?_ When numerous humans are required to even incapacitate a single one, and sometimes still lose their lives in the process?

That’s impossible. That’s _insane._

“W… wow.” She has to blink a few times as that information processes in her mind. The Yautja have somehow started to breed a species of alien that has posed a threat every single time they’ve come into contact with humans… and they hunt them _for fun._ What… the fuck? “So, you’re telling me that the Yautja breed Xenomorphs and then use them as prey for Hunts?”

“Yes, especially if they do not feel the pull to any other type of prey, and especially as prey for a Yautja who is not yet Blooded.” For a race who apparently pride themselves on strength and glory, he seems awfully nonchalant talking about killing creatures who have overpowered entire teams of humans. “We also sometimes Hunt them before going after prey that we think will be difficult to take down… to ensure that our skills are sharp.”

_Practice._ The Yautja use these aggressive beasts who are fully capable of slaughtering humans and willing to do so… as… _practice._ A shiver runs up Elaine’s spine as she considers what they’re Hunting, exactly, that a Xenomorph is considered a _training exercise._

The way her pen clicks seems to reverberate through the entire room. “That’s, uh… that’s… impressive.” She doesn’t know what else to say. What the hell else can she say to that?

A round of trilling comes from Nau’tui, and that expression of his almost looks like a smile. “Of course humans would think that. We have been doing this for a long time, whereas you struggle with defending yourselves from the _Kainde Amedha._ No offense meant, of course, but you’re a young species.”

There’s so much to unpack here, Elaine doesn’t know where to start. It’s all she can do not to drown. Her bosses would never forgive her if she didn’t ask the obvious question. “W-well, uh, honestly, we would probably benefit from a lot of your techniques on controlling them. As you said, every time humanity has run into these… _Kainde Amedha…_ they’ve proved a problem to us, and you guys have no trouble with them. Would you, uh, consider maybe sharing some of the ways you control them the way you do? Is it your advanced technology or is it something else?”

“Mmh.” In an instant, his maybe-smile is gone. Now he just looks grim, like the last few sentences eroded the trust he had in her. “I am afraid I cannot speak on any of that at this time. The Yautja guard our technology closely. Were we ever to share any part of it with another species, the other Elders and the Ancients would need to hold discussions at length first. My apologies.”

She shakes her head, making quick notes of all of this. This isn’t quite what she expected when she woke up this morning. There’s a ton of new information that’s now available to her and her bosses, as well as it’s going to be available to any of Earth’s public who are tuned in to the broadcast. This is nuts in a way she doesn’t know how to even begin to describe. “No, no, you don’t have to apologize. I understand and I’m sure my superiors do as well. Switching topics… you mentioned something about… _Blooded?_ Is that a rank? Is it like Leader, Elder, Ancient–?”

Nau’tui seemed on alert for a moment, but now his muscles relax. “Yes… similar. Blooded means that a Yautja has been successful on their first Hunt. Before this, they are referred to as either Unblooded or a Young Blood.”

“Is there any difference, or are those terms interchangeable?”

“No, they are not. An Unblooded is a young adult who has yet to complete their basic training to become a Hunter. A Young Blood is one who has been training for some time – usually years – but has not yet been on their first official Hunt.” He shifts slightly, his claws carefully adjusting the small microphone that’s attached to his outfit. “As I said before, we use _Kainde Amedha_ for the Hunts of our Young Bloods. Once they Hunt and kill one, they mark themselves with the blood of it, and they are considered Blooded.”

Elaine gives a small chuckle; that seems self-explanatory. “Oh, I get it. That makes sense. Are there any ranks after Blooded?”

He nods, and as far as she can tell, he’s happy that she’s genuinely curious. “Yes, several. A Blooded can become a Leader – a Clan Leader like myself, or a Hunting Captain who is in charge when a team goes on a Hunt or any other mission. They can also become an Elite, and Elites handle the more challenging Hunts and missions. Eventually, after much experience, an Elite can become an Elder… like I am.”

“Oh, okay…” Her hand is moving so fast to note all of this down, she swears it’s going to start cramping. “And the only rank beyond Elder is Ancient, right? That’s the Yautja who have been around longer than any of the others?”

Something in his dark-set golden eyes sparkles at her. It almost looks like he’s… impressed. Is that because she’s taking all the things he’s been telling her and making her own conclusions? Sometimes she thinks politics is just a giant game of connect the dots, and they’ve both obviously been doing things like this for a while, so why should he be impressed by her? “You are clever. ‘Catch on quick’, is that expression?”

Her face heats up again. “I… yeah, that’s it. I’m, uh, I’m just trying to understand, you know?”

“You are still very intelligent. An admirable quality.” He leans back slightly. “To answer, yes. Ancients are leagues older than any other Yautja. Some of them have helped to create the very laws our society is built upon. We honor them above all else aside from the Hunt. If an Ancient tells you to do something, you do it. No questions. No debate.”

“So, in other words,” Elaine grins, “if an Ancient tells you to jump, you say, ‘How high?’”

Nau’tui makes that clicking noise with his mandibles again; except this time, it’s rapid-fire and clearly meant to be an equivalent to laughter. Something about the fact that she made him laugh ignites a small spark of pride in her belly. “Yes, exactly:”

She joins in with him, giggling, for a moment before both of their laughter dies down. A joke like that seems to have gone a long way in making both of them feel much more at ease. Not that they weren’t getting there already, of course.

After they recover, Elaine straightens up slightly, glancing at her watch. “I’d ask if you have any questions about human culture, but… it looks like we’ve reached the time where the meeting’s over, unfortunately. However, I think my superiors and yours will be setting up another one so we can continue to work on relations! This… went pretty well, though, I think. What do you think?”

“Ah, I agree. This was very pleasant.” Nau’tui moves to get to his feet, taking a helmet that was apparently sitting under the table with him. “There is a long road ahead of us, to be certain, but this was the first step, and I believe we will make great progress. Let us disable our microphones, then allow me to escort you to your ship so you can return home for the time being.”

“Of course! Thank you.” She motions to be quiet, then she first reaches to turn off his microphone, then her own. Once she’s certain that they’re both no longer transmitting, she lets out a sigh of relief. “Ah, thank God. Not to say that was a bad experience, but knowing my every word is being listened to is always kind of stressful. Is it like that for you?”

He hums as he heads for the door. “Somewhat, yes. Even though I am used to being placed under high standards, being placed under constant surveillance is infrequent. We both handled things very well, however. You were nervous at first, but I can tell you are fairly calm now. You are used to me, I hope?”

A sheepish smile comes over her face, and she walks out the door, holding it until he’s through as well. “Yeah, sort of. I mean, I don’t know how I’d react to meeting another Yautja, I’m probably not used to you guys as a whole yet, but – but you, I’m used to.”

“Very much understood. Should I ever need to bring another with me, I will see to it that you are informed ahead of time.” He gives her a side look before tapping his microphone. “This is off now, is it not?”

She nods. “Yeah, I made sure they’re both switched off. Nobody can hear us now.”

They near the pod she’ll use to get back to Earth, then Nau’tui reaches to place his hand on her hip. “I apologize, but you brought a weapon with you, and I have left mine. These are peaceful negotiations. To bring a weapon implies you do not trust us or myself. There is no need for it, and it is dishonorable.”

Elaine feels her heart pounding in her chest. What the hell…? How did he know about the pepper spray? It’s completely hidden. “H… how… did you know?”

“The scent,” he replies simply, looking neither happy nor angry. “Yautja have an extremely enhanced sense of smell.”

Her mouth feels dry. “It… wasn’t my idea,” she murmurs. “My boss told me I needed to bring it. He wouldn’t have let me come if I didn’t. I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean any disrespect. I do trust you, and I only hope you can forgive me. It’s not something I’m going to bring along in the future.”

After a moment that feels like an eternity, he slowly draws his hand away. The tips of his claws drag lightly against the fabric of her skirt as he does. “That is why I did not mention it while we were being recorded. I thought perhaps someone had pressured you into it. Exposing it while we were being listened to may have resulted in your superiors thinking you had offended me, which ran the risk of getting you in trouble for something that was not your fault.”

“S… so…” Her heart is still racing and she’s nearly frozen up. “You’re… not upset or offended.”

He shakes his head, his dreadlocks swaying. “It would be a lie to say I am pleased with this, but I understand it would have happened regardless of who they sent to meet with me. Your word that it will not happen again is enough. Should you break that word–” His eyes narrow a fraction. “– _Then_ we will have a problem.”

Elaine nods in response and reaches toward him, gently placing her hand against his. “I… I understand. It won’t happen again, but I know words aren’t a huge reassurance about this.” She looks up so she can meet his eyes. “Also… if it’s okay with you… is there any way that the two of us can talk in private? This – this is probably really weird to you, but, I mean, I… I would actually… sort of… like to get to know you better… outside of negotiations.”

“Ah…” For the first time since she’s met him, Nau’tui looks truly hesitant. It’s like she’s caught him off guard with a few simple words. “Well, if that is what you wish… I… believe the feeling is mutual.” He cracks another smile in that Yautja way, though this one looks nervous. His claws flip open some kind of device on his wrist, and after he hits a few buttons, he holds it out to her. “Humans use different sets of numbers to communicate with one another, yes? Through… I believe they are called… cellular telephones? Our communication equipment is vastly more advanced, but if you enter your personal number here, I should be able to find a way to work with Earth’s technology so that we can talk.”

Her face brightens up, and she taps her phone number in. Although the marks are different, it comes up on the screen with translation into numbers that she recognizes. “Okay, there we go… so, if I get a text or call from some weird alien number… that’ll be you?”

“Likely it will not show up as a number… but, yes, that is the basic idea.” He closes the device and gestures to the pod. “Now, your people will be expecting you.”

“Oh, right…” She looks to the pod, then, for some reason she doesn’t understand, she reaches in his direction again, this time touching her palm lightly against his chest. “It really was nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to the next one of these, and… also looking forward to talking to you outside of them.” With that, she steps inside the pod and flashes him a smile. “See you later, Nau’tui.”

The look on his face reads as slightly stunned, his hand coming up to hover over the area she just touched. “… Yes… see you later, Elaine. Safe travels.”

She raises one hand to wave at him. “You, too!”

As the pod whisks her away, the sight of him is replaced with stars and whirring lights. Elaine leans against the back of the pod, letting out a soft sigh, but her smile doesn’t disappear.

This is the beginning of something beautiful.

She can just feel it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small scene from Elaine's life plays as she talks, off the record, to her new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, I'm slow!
> 
> But... I hope this was worth it! The ending is a little half-assed, but don't worry, next chapter will more than make up for it!! *mwah*
> 
> Also this contains some of my own headcanons about Yautja culture regarding romance, so I may have taken some liberties! Bear with me if it's not 100% believable; I'm still not done watching all the films or reading all the canon stuff! <3

[ “Mama?”

“Mmh… what is it, baby? You know you’re supposed to be sleepin’.”

Five-year-old Elaine rolls toward her mother, little hands gripping at Jeanine’s shoulder as if she’s just unlocked the secret to life. “I know, Mama, but I was just looking at the sky…”

“Mhm, ain’t it beautiful?” Jeanine shifts around herself so she can rest a hand on her daughter’s face. Although she looks tired, her eyes are full of love and her smile is genuine. “Once you get outta the city, you can see all the stars up there. That’s why I like to go campin’ ― why I wanted to bring you along this time. I wanted you to see this. Be able to sleep out here, look up, and see the universe.”

The child giggles and moves again. This time she sets herself on her back, one hand slowly reaching out as high as she can raise it. If she thinks really hard, she can almost feel like she’s touching the sky. It’s silky and warm and comforting. “It’s so pretty. That’s why I was wondering…”

Jeanine tilts her head. “You, wonderin’ somethin’? Lord, call the newspapers.”

“Mamaaaaa!” She laughs before making a fist. Fingers curling in on a tiny palm, she can imagine that she’s holding a piece of the galaxy in her hand. It makes her feel like she can do anything. Like there’s something _great_ out there and she’s going to be a part of it someday. “I was just wondering… are there people living in the stars, do you think?”

“― Hm?” A raised eyebrow combined with the smile still being there makes Jeanine look confused but willing to listen. “What do you mean, people livin’ in the stars?”

Elaine continues what she’s doing, eventually opening her hand and wiggling her fingers at the sky ― waving at the whole universe. “You know. People who live in the stars like we live in the city. Star-people. They’re just up there. They go to work and they have babies and houses and it’s all up there in the stars instead of down here.”

Jeanine’s eyes move back up. Jeanine thinks perhaps her daughter has an active imagination even for a kindergartener. Star-people, really? “Oh. I s’pose anythin’s possible. What d’you think these star-people would be like?”

“I dunno. Probably really big and strong!” The little girl turns back to Jeanine with a grin that shows off her missing front tooth. “And they’d have funny names, I bet. And they’d be kinda scary but also nice.”

Jeanine laughs. “Scary _and_ nice?”

“Yeah!” Elaine laughs right along with her, cuddling up against her mother. She knows it’s all a little far-fetched and these creatures likely don’t exist. If aliens existed, surely the world would know for sure by now. “I dunno, maybe not. But Mama, wouldn’t it be something if they were real?”

A gentle, encouraging hand runs through her hair as Jeanine brings her close. The stars are still glittering above them, like diamonds spilled onto black velvet. “Oh, yes, honey. It sure would be somethin’.” ]

* * *

“Wait a minute, wait a minute!! Did you just say you have _thirty-nine grandkids?!_ ”

A soft chuckle on the other end of the phone call drowns out the admittedly quiet buzz of the TV in the background of Elaine’s living room. _“Yes, thirty-nine.”_

“Hold on, so, I mean ― how many children did you say you have?”

“ _Eleven. Peya, Ya’suiun, Tadith, Nai’sui, and Ohra have children of their own. Mithe, Ah’kiat, Ci’tha, Hi-zadah, Ayuid, and Ah’kiil have none as of yet, though… I expect a few of them may mate in the next couple of years. That should make the number an even fifty.”_ The smirk that Nau’tui must be wearing is clear even in his voice. _“Do I dare tell you how many brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews I have? I fear it may break you.”_

Elaine groans despite the fact that she’s still smiling. The idea of relatives numbering in the hundreds is so foreign to her; even among bigger families she knows, there usually are no more than, say, fifty people attending a family reunion. “Pffff, I’m stronger than that. It’s just… you know… how many times have you been married?!”

There’s a brief silence, followed by what she can only describe as the sound of a Yautja clearing their throat. _“Married_ _―_ _you mean life-mated?_ _Ah… n_ _ever.”_

Her brow furrows. That word, _life-mated,_ is that their equivalent of marriage? “Wait, okay, but… if you have so many kids with the same person, if you love her, why wouldn’t you have gotten married, or… or life-mated?”

“ _They…_ _do not all have the same mother.”_ There’s a hint of confusion present when he says this. _“Mithe, Peya, and Ya’suiun’s mother is Iyei. Ah’kiat and Ci’tha’s mother is Denka. Tadith’s mother is Tuyou. Hi-zadah, Nai’sui, Ayuid, Ohra, and Ah’kiil’s mother is Ma-hakeh. Furthermore, romantic love is not necessary for producing children, and the few romances I have had turned out not to be life mates.”_ That silence comes back, and then a thoughtful hum. _“… Can I assume the ideas of love, life-mating, and bearing children are different in human culture?”_

Elaine shifts around a little. All she can hope at this point is that she hasn’t screwed things up by seeming judgmental. “I’m sorry if I offended you or hurt your feelings,” she says before anything else. “It’s just… yeah, different to the way we do things. So it seems strange to me.”

“ _No, I understand. I am not hurt or offended. I promise,”_ he assures, _“you would know for sure if I was. Some of the ways of humans are strange to me, too. You do not have to be constantly afraid of upsetting me. If I make a joke about something from your culture, we would be even, yes?”_

A snort slips out before she can stop it. “Go right ahead.”

Things are quiet for a moment again, as if he’s contemplating what human thing to poke fun at. _“_ _― S_ _ex_ _,”_ he finally declares.

Okay, that wasn’t what she expected. “I’m, uh… I’m sorry, what?”

“ _S_ _ex_ _._ _Intercourse. Copulation._ _”_ And he sounds so casual about it. _“What is the human obsession with it?_ _Everywhere I look, on your television, advertisements on the street, magazines, there is sex. Far be it from me to deny that is is pleasurable, but is sex all you humans think about?”_

This time, the silence is her doing, and after a few seconds, she bursts into laughter. It’s been a while since she laughed like this. When her face starts to feel hot, she attempts to get herself under control. “As much as I want to say it’s not,” she gets out between giggles, “it is kind of everywhere, isn’t it? I don’t really know why, but I guess whoever’s in charge of big business figured out it’s one of the best ways to get people’s attention.”

Nau’tui scoffs. _“Female Yautja walk around n_ _ude_ _or scantily c_ _lothed_ _frequently, and most males simply ignore it. The_ _same is true for males walking around n_ _ude_ _and females ignoring it. What is so endlessly fascinating about breasts or a cock?_ _They are very nice, but they do not distract us._ _”_

“At least I can say it’s not _all_ humans. Most of us don’t have sex on the brain all the time. I’ll admit it’s kind of an obsession with some people, though. And it does seem like it’s all over the place, huh? To be honest, speaking from personal experience… I don’t know why it’s so distracting. It just kind of is, especially if you’re not used to seeing naked people.” She leans back. “So, can I ask… this life-mate thing. What’s that all about?”

“ _I suppose… it is similar to what you call marriage. If a Yautja wants to pursue a romantic relationship with another, they do so during a long period. Typically it spans years of courting, sometimes mating, and the act of becoming life-mates is not something one takes lightly.”_ He pauses again, and it sounds like he’s doing something akin to tapping his claws on a desk. _“If one wishes to become life-mated, they and their partner or partners must be in full agreement. They plan a ceremony, and after it is performed, they are considered life-mates.”_

Elaine props her feet up on the arm of the couch. “That does sound a lot like marriage. But also kind of… not. Is there any way to reverse that? Like a divorce?”

“ _Divorce?”_ The word sounds foreign coming from him. It’s like they don’t even have a similar word in the Yautja language. _“Is that a reversal? Is that common in human culture?”_

“It can be. I’m fuzzy on the percentages, but I think I read a while ago that something like half of marriages end in divorce. You know, with the couple splitting up and not being together anymore. That’s not a thing with Yautja?”

“ _It is not commonplace. I know of maybe three instances I have heard of in my whole life. Is that not c_ _allous_ _―_ _promising yourself to someone for the rest of your life and then leaving them later?”_

She licks her lips, processing how to tell him _she’s_ divorced herself. “Well, then, I guess I’d be callous.”

When he speaks again, he sounds surprised. _“You left your life-mate?”_

“My ex-husband,” she clarifies. This isn’t the kind of thing she thought she would be talking about with him, but at the same time, she did want to get to know him better. That entails letting him get to know her better, too. It’s probably good that he learns about this early on. “We were married for about ten years when I found out he was cheating on me. Does that concept exist in Yautja culture? Cheating; being unfaithful to your life-mate?”

A low rumble of thought comes over the phone. _“Somewhat. It is a grey area more with us than with humans, it seems. We believe that sex is different from life-mating, and that sex outside of life-matin_ _g is to be only for procreation. But if one life-mate does not want their partner or partners doing so with anyone else, and they do so anyway, or if one of them behaves romantically with someone else, then that is dishonorable. That is one of the few reasons I can think of when it would not be_ _considered_ _d_ _isgraceful_ _to leave._ _So you are not callous.”_

For a long moment, she’s quiet as she thinks. “What about other reasons?” There are so many she can think of, and only a few of them are what she’d think of as disgraceful. “What if they grow as people, and just don’t grow in the same direction? What if they change to the point where they aren’t compatible anymore? What if one of them was keeping secrets and the other doesn’t want to deal with that anymore? What if they just… fall out of love?”

On the other end of the call, Nau’tui stays silent for another minute. _“That is why many Yautja do not ever life-mate._ _Not that none of us are romantic or that we are afraid of commitment, but more that we do not want to make a mistake. We do not want to rush into something that may be regretted after several years. Even those who have life-mated, if any of those things happen… they will often refuse to leave. They would rather stay in a relationship where they are no longer happy than face the shame of leaving a life-mate. A majority of Yautja clans cast out those who have done something so many view as dishonorable. At worst they will be exiled from their clan, and at best they will be the subject of gossip. It varies from family to family or team to team.”_

There’s a clicking sound that she realizes isn’t the equivalent of laughter; it sounds almost melancholy. _“Many do not want to life-mate simply for the reason that they do not want to be trapped if things do happen to go wrong.”_

“That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?” She makes sure to keep her voice gentle, so that it’s clear she isn’t trying to attack their way of life. “The exile and gossip, I mean. If it’s not their fault, they shouldn’t be punished for doing the best thing for themselves.”

“ _You make good points about the matter,”_ he hums. It’s an admission in not so many words that they surely aren’t perfect. _“I do not claim to defend the stigma, but unfortunately it is there whether or not anyone approves of it. For what it is worth, I am old enough and have seen enough to realize how messy these things can be. That they are not always so clear-cut. It is something I would never punish any of my own children for, which perhaps puts me in an unfavorable light with some other Elders and especially younger Yautja. However, how I run_ _ **my**_ _clan is_ _ **my**_ _business.”_

Both of them are silent for another minute. Elaine certainly had hoped that she didn’t offend him at all. Not only would that not be great for the budding Yautja-human alliance, it also wouldn’t be fantastic for their personal relationship. Thankfully, it seems they both see each other’s view on this subject at least.

At last, Nau’tui is the one who breaks the silence. _“I did not ask, by the way_ _―_ _you were married, so do you have any children or grandchildren?”_

She smiles at the fact that he’s willing to move on to something else now. “Yeah, I have a daughter, Brianna. She’s married and working on a family of her own. She has a seven-year-old son, Austin, and she’s about three months pregnant with her second kid right now. It’s funny, I guess, she’s an only child, but she wants a lot of kids herself.”

“ _Not so strange,”_ he laughs. _“Tadith is the only child I had with Tuyou, and she has the most offspring out of any of my other children.”_

She replies with a giggle, scooting to get more comfortable on the couch. “Maybe humans and Yautja have that in common. Not having any brothers or sisters for company might just kick off something in the brain that makes them want to have a big family. Loneliness, maybe?”

“ _Of course,”_ he adds, _“Tadith has half-brothers and -sisters, both through my other children and through Tuyou’s other children. Though I do suspect she feels the need to prove, as a single child of two people, that she is fertile. That might be her reason. Your, mh, Brianna, though… I wonder if she feels she has much love to give, and never having had a sibling to give it to, wants as many children to share her love with as possible. That makes sense for humans, does it not? I am not overly familiar with human psychology, so I can only guess.”_

The thought makes Elaine happy. Sometimes she thinks she was so busy with work that she didn’t spend enough time with Brianna… instead, maybe the time they spent together was enough to fill her with so much love she wants to share it with her children. “That’s… a good way to think about it. I hope it’s true.”

“ _As I said, merely a guess.”_

“A good guess, though.” She taps her foot against the arm of the couch before she says anything else. “Hey, Nau’tui. I… really like talking to you.”

He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then, _“I… very much like talking to you as well, Elaine.”_

The way he fumbles over those words is charming, but even more charming is that she can hear a smile in his voice.

* * *

The next time Elaine walks into the meeting room, she’s not the slightest bit nervous.

Instead, she’s excited.

She can’t wait for whatever is going to happen next.


End file.
